unbidden, as perhaps it still may, without
any instigation of my own at all? Thou dost not seem to understand
that all this while thy own life is in far greater danger than mine;
since thou hast done a thing that will not be forgiven thee by others,
though I myself have not only forgiven thee, but well understanding
the fiery goad that drove thee into my presence, have treated thee,
for yet once more, with kindness and condescension far beyond any
deserts of thine. And for all return, thou art threatening even to
slay me. But I am destitute of fear.

And she stood before me in the moonlight, that turned her as it clung
to all her limbs into a thing beautiful beyond all earthly dreams,
absolutely fearless, and with a dignity whose royalty was not only
that of a queen, but of loveliness laughing to scorn all possible
comparison, seeming to say without the need of any words: Art thou
brave enough, and fool enough, to lay rude hands on such a thing as I
am, or even if thy folly were equal to thy courage, canst thou find it
in thy heart to think of violence offered to it, by thyself or any
other, even in a dream? And my heart burned, for sheer adoration, and
yet strange! it began to sink at the very same time, as I gazed at
her, looking at me quietly in return. For there was something
absolutely unanswerable, not only in herself, but in everything she
said, and yet her very simplicity that overwhelmed me with its soft
irrefutable sweetness increased the torture of my hopeless admiration
every time she spoke. And suddenly I struck my hands together in
despair. And I exclaimed: Ah! thou marvel of a woman and a queen, I am
conquered by thee, and I am on the very verge of falling at thy feet
in a passion of tears, craving thy forgiveness as a criminal, so
bewildering is the double spell of thy beauty and thy intelligence,
and the candour of thy strange soul, which drives me mad with its
inexplicable charm. But what does it matter to me, hate me or love me,
if I am never to see thee any more? Aye! Narasinha may not find it in
him to slay thee for thy wayward and beautiful independence, but then
he can see thee every day, exactly as he chooses: whereas I, once I go
away this night, am outcast: for well I understand that thou or he
will see to it that I never come again. Dost thou imagine I can bear
it? And again I struck my hands together with a cry. And I exclaimed:
Curse on my birth, and the crimes of the births that went befor